Gretchen smirked at the image it conjured in her mind and turned to fetch the mirror.
“Okay. Let’s get this show on the road.”
Chapter 4
Rapunzel was as good as her word, and when they trundled into Oakdale, she sat in the wagon bed as pretty as a picture, smiling and twirling her hair at the gawkers they passed by. The pumpkin was a different story. Gretchen had done what she could on the ride, but the hair grew thick and fast. She fancied she had enough wholesale material to make a tidy sum from a wig tailor and tied the locks into manageable bunches to stow in her pouch for safekeeping.
Had she been thinking clearly, she may have been able to stall long enough to make a magical dispel potion and scarper as soon as she’d doused her produce. But she had to play the hand dealt to her, and hope the growth slowed over the coming hours.
The fair consisted of food stalls and benches brought into the market square, with the agricultural competitions taking place in a nearby field. From the finest bulls to the softest wool, the region’s commodities were on show, and merchants from the city sauntered from pen to pen checking out the local talent. The vegetable growing competitions were something more of a novelty, and they relegated hopeful gardening enthusiasts to a narrow track of land pressed against the woodlands. Thankful at least for shade on the warm day, Gretchen stretched her arms overhead as she climbed out of the carriage.
Gawking turned to suspicious whispers, and Gretchen picked out Nora in the crowd, elbowing her way toward her.
“What on earth is all this?” Nora jerked her head toward the carriage and fixed Rapunzel with a shrewd stare. “And who is she?”
Gretchen puffed out her cheeks and clapped her hands.
“I ah, had quite the eventful afternoon after you left. You heard of those Tallest Towers hotels? This is the brand behind the operation, Rapunzel.”
Nora blinked. “She’s bigger than she looks in the posters.”
“That’s the problem, see.” She wrapped an arm around her friend's shoulder and steered her away from the crowd. “She came to see me about her hair and there was a mix-up. Took a growing potion instead.”
Nora rounded on Gretchen, her eyes wide as she brushed her arm from her shoulder.
“That growing potion wouldn't have been for your entry, now, would it?”
“Of course not!” Gretchen swallowed. “No, it was something I had on hand and old butter fingers here slipped her the wrong dose. Happens to the best of us. She won’t believe me when I tell her it will wear off, so now I’m lumped with her until she starts shrinking. If you’d just have a word with her, assure her the effects are temporary—”
“Where’s the pumpkin?” Nora leveled a finger at her.
“Resting. Just keeping out of the sun, you know. Can’t have it getting soft spots. Nothing out of the ordinary, by the time we get started it will be waiting in line with the others. I think you’ll find—”
“Hush!” Nora shook her head. “If there is anything irregular about that vegetable, I’ll disqualify you faster than you can say potato! I won’t have you throwing a shadow over my good reputation. People will already be running their mouths about this parade you’ve brought with you.”
With a groan she turned toward the crowds and pushed her way back through the milling townsfolk. By the looks of things, the livestock were still center stage, which was not unusual at those kinds of fairs, but it meant she had a couple of hours before the spotlight would move toward their end of the fairgrounds.
Curious folk had come closer to Rapunzel’s wagon and a few girls plucked up the courage to fondle stray locks of her luxurious hair. She smiled graciously at everyone and chattered to the adults even as the girls began braiding her hair in lengths that looked like ropes from a distance. Evidently, she didn’t mind looking out of place among the common folk.
“Are you okay?” Jurgen clapped a hand on her shoulder. “I should get to the ale stands. I need to keep on top of where the better brews can be found this season.”
Gretchen hung her head and nodded. “I’ll be fine. Thank you for everything this morning. I promise I’ll have that broad out of your wagon by the time we need to head home.”
“I don’t mind.” He barked a laugh. “I’ll keep the carriage if she wants to trade.”
Gretchen chuckled as he trudged away and then she snuck over to the carriage, tugging the makeshift curtain door closed behind her. The next growth was well under way, and she sank to the bench seat racking her brain for a magical solution to her problem. It couldn’t be anything blatant; Nora wouldn’t let her get away with it, and she had nothing in her inventory which would help with that particular problem.
She took the shears out again and cropped what she could, resolving to put off the shaving until she could see the procession at the baked goods section. Gretchen’s belly rumbled at the thought of the long tables strewn with pies and cakes, and she dropped the shears and dusted off her hands. Just a little mingling. Show her face among the competition and get a bite to eat. Hiding in the carriage could be seen as meanspirited, and she didn’t need anything else casting doubt over her entry.
Giving her pumpkin a pat, she climbed from the carriage and ushered Peter the driver over, who was unhitching the horses and tethering them on a clear patch of grass. “If you see anyone trying to poke their noses in this carriage, you use that whip to discourage them, you hear? I’ll get us something to eat.”
Peter’s face brightened at the mention of food, and he gave a nod as Gretchen strode into the throng. Rapunzel had gathered a crowd of her
